Michigan AD Dave Brandon: Big House to remain alcohol-free

By
Chip Patterson / College Writer

March 17, 2014 01:28 PM ET

Michigan AD Dave Brandon says the Big House will remain dry. (USATSI)

Across the country, colleges are changing their tune regarding alcohol sales at college football and basketball games. In conversations with MLive.com, Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon guaranteed that the Wolverines will not join the trend for football games in the Big House.

In the eyes of Brandon, the liability and risk of serving alcohol in Michigan Stadium, the largest football stadium in the country, is not worth exploring the option at this time.

"You've got to set up places to vendor this stuff and you've got to make sure you're selling it to the right people, not the wrong people, and then you've got to deal with all the ramifications of alcohol being served in an area where you've got a lot of young people and a lot of underage people," he said.

"Sometimes people lose track of the fact that we have to organize and manage 110,000 to 115,000 people all in one tight space, and get them in there and out of there safely," he continued. "I don't think serving alcohol is going to make that job any easier."

CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd estimated last week that alcohol is available in at least 21 of the 125 FBS football venues. The Big 12 basketball tournament recently offered beer and wine to of-age fans and even Texas is considering the sale of beer and wine at football games next season. In the Big Ten, ticket holders in premium seating areas have alcohol adoptions at Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and Purdue.

Alcohol was sold at Michigan Stadium earlier this year for the NHL's Winter Classic on Jan. 1, but state lawmakers had to approve the decision.